For an affordable no-frills business hotel in the center of the city, you can’t go wrong with the Townhouse. It’s situated in downtown Cape Town in an area mainly made up of offices, and offers a conference center. But the four-star Townhouse is not only great for business types – it also attracts leisure travellers, many of whom are just about to start or have just finished a trip on a cruise ship.

The hotel’s featureless high-rise building belies its coziness. While the décor is a bit dated (think brown carpets and metallic curtains) there’s a charm and warmth to the Townhouse that you can feel as soon as you walk inside. Staff are particularly friendly and helpful, and even though there are 107 rooms in the hotel, you don’t get the feeling that you’re just another anonymous guest as you do in other big hotels. Rooms are compact without being poky, and feature minimalist furnishings and comfortable beds. Request a mountain-facing room for views of Cape Town’s iconic Table Mountain.

There’s a quiet bar downstairs next to the lobby, and comfortable couches, from where you can order lunch and snacks: pastries, sandwiches, wraps, salads, pastas and burgers are on offer. Upstairs on the first floor, Trees Restaurant serves dinners – either a buffet, or a well-priced la carte menu that has something to please everyone, from favorites like fish and chips and lamb shank to South African dishes such as Cape fish cakes with chutney, smoked springbok and isheishebo (beef stew with maizemeal porridge). The breakfasts, served in this restaurant, are particularly good: there’s a buffet of fruit, yoghurt, cereals, pastries, cheese, cold meats and homemade bircher muesli; cooked breakfast choices run the gamut from poached haddock to pork sausage (just note that you pay extra for what they call specialty coffees, which include Americanos and cappuccinos).

In terms of dining outside of the hotel there aren’t many options close by. During the day there are a few eateries open, which cater to office workers and aren’t anything to write home about, but at night there’s a dearth of restaurants and bars within walking distance. Instead catch a taxi to nearby Gardens, an area five-minute drive away, where you’ll find everything from Japanese to Indian restaurants, or to Long Street, which is lined with bars, pubs and eateries. The V&A Waterfront is also only a short drive away, and has many good restaurants to choose from, some of which have fantastic views of Table Mountain and the harbor.